Amusement device



u. s. DANIEL AMUSEMENT DEVICE Jame 9, 1936,

Filed May :51, 1955 2 5 7RUBBER U 6'. Daniel,

Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,043,606 AMUSEMENT DEVICE Ulysses S. Daniel, Ballinger, Tex.

Application May 31, 1935, Serial No. 24,420

1 Claim. (01. 273-107) This invention relates to an amusement device primarily intended for use in playgrounds but it may also be employed at the home or in public amusement places.

An object of the invention is the provision of an amusement device to be known as a Sky Ball Jack in which a movable arm is provided having a receptacle for a ball of any suitable type at one end and a striking portion at the opposite end which is adapted to be struck by any suitable instrument, such as a bat, for causing the ball to be projected into the air, means being provided for varying the angle of projection as desired.

A further object of the invention isthe. provision of an amusement device for projecting a ball mechanically through a path which may be at any angle to a horizontal with means for controlling the angle of projection, said device in-' cluding a projecting lever pivoted intermediate its ends upon the standard with a repository for a ball at one end and a striking portion at the opposite end. i

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of the device constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a rear view in elevation, and

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l and II designate standards which are spaced apart and are adapted to be maintained in a vertical position in a manner which will be presently explained. A pair of connecting boards or bars I2 and I3 are secured to one face of the standards as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The bar I2 is secured to the lower ends of the standards while the bar I3 is secured to the standards adjacent their upper ends. The securing means may be of any well known type.

A board or bar I4 is secured to the opposite faces of the standards and intermediate the upper and lower ends of said standards. These bars maintain the standards in rigid spaced relation.

A pair of brace bars I5 and I6 are secured at I8 and I9 to the inner face of the bar I3. These bars are located between the upper ends of the standards I0 and II and are spaced sufficiently apart to receive a sleeve II.

The upper ends of the standards I0 and II are provided with passages 26 in which are mounted sleeves 2|. The bars I5 and I6 are also provided with passages in which are mounted sleeves 22 and these sleeves provide bearings for an axle 23.

A rod 25 is mounted in passages 26 formed in the standards It! and II and below the axle 23. A non-metallic tubing 21, which may be formed of rubber or any other suitable damping mate rial, is received by the rod 25 and has its opposite ends in abutting relation with the inner faces of the standards I0 and II.

Cleats 33 are bolted at 3| to the outer faces of the standards and these cleats have their inner faces in engagement with the ends of the rod 25 and the axle 23 for maintaining the rod and axle in position. If it be desired at any time to remove either the rod or the axle it is only necessary to loosen one of the nuts 32 so that the cleats may be rocked upon their pivots and expose the free ends of the rod and axle.

Thesleeve I1 is mounted on the axle 23 and is provided with flanges 35 which abut the inner faces of the bars I5 and I6. Thus it will be seen that the bars I5 and I6 aid in maintaining the sleeve in a predetermined position on the axle.

A lever 36 which I designate a Flip has its intermediate portion secured to the sleeve I'I whereby the lever is rockably mounted on the axle 23. One end of the lever is provided with a cup-shaped member or receptacle 3! which is adapted to receive any type of ball as will be presently explained. The other end 38 of the lever projects beyond the standards I0 and II and provides a striking portion which is adapted to be hit by any suitable instrument, such as a baseball bat for causing the lever to be suddenly revolved on its pivot and for projecting the ball located within the receptacle into the air.

The lever 36 may be formed of any metal which has sufficient strength to withstand the operation of the lever for projecting the ball. The sleeve 21 on the rod 25 is adapted to be engaged by the end 38 of the lever 36 and this sleeve will act as a cushion for damping the blows of the lever after it has been struck.

A coil spring 40 is connected to an eye 4| secured in the bar I3. The other end of the spring is secured to an eye 42 which in turn is secured to the underface of the lever 36 adjacent the sleeve IT. This spring tends to return the lever to its normal horizontal position after it has been struck. The spring, however, is sufliciently weak so that it will not interfere with the proper operation of the lever when the portion 38 has been struck.

A metal strap 45 is pivotally mounted at 46 on the bar l3 and extends in a vertical manner in substantially parallel relation with the bar l5. It will be noted from the drawing that this strap extends above the lever 36. While the strap 45 may be swung upon its pivot 46 a screw or bolt which acts as a pivot is drawn up sufficiently tight on the strap to cause the strap to be maintained in frictional engagement with the inner face of the bar I3 so that said strap may be swung to predetermined positions and will retain the position due to the friction between the inner face of the strap and the inner face of the bar. This strap performs a two-fold function in that it may be moved over into engagement with the;

lever 36 and retain the lever in a predetermined position as desired for a purpose which will be presently explained. The strap also will act to maintain the lever in its normal horizontal position where lack of balance of the lever will cause said lever to be tilted in one direction.

A rest in the form of a curved strap 50 is pivotally connected at 5| with the outer face of the bar I3. A bolt or screw acting as a pivot will be drawn up suificiently tight to cause the curved strap 5B to retain its position as it is swung on its pivot. This curved strap or rest may be moved up beneath the end of the lever containing the receptacle 3'! for supporting the lever at an angle to the horizontal when it is desired to project the ball at an angle from the vertical.

A footboard 52 is secured at 53 in any approved manner to the standard ll and is of sufiicient length to aid in supporting the standards in a vertical position.

The operation of my device is as follows: If it is desired to project a ball into the air along a line which is adjacent the vertical the lever 36 is disposed in the horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3. The outer free end 38 of the lever is then struck by a bat or other suitable instrument and the ball is projected rapidly upwardly. The player who catches the ball is then allowed to be the next to project the ball.

If it be desired to project the ball at an angle to the vertical the curved strap 50 may be moved into a position where it will support the end of the lever 36 carrying the receptacle 3! at a higher elevation than the horizontal so that when the free end 38 of the lever is struck it will project the ball at a proper angle for causing the ball to travel at some distance away from the device. It will be appreciated that by varying the angle at which the lever is supported when struck that the angle of projection will also be varied.

The strap 45 may be employed for frictionally v engaging the side edge of the lever for retaining the lever in a position which will be at any desired angle to the horizontal and this strap may also be used to maintain the lever in a horizontal position where the end 38 slightly overbalances the opposite end having the receptacle 31. I claim:

An amusement device comprising a pair of spaced standards, means for securing the standards together, spaced brace bars supported between the upper ends of said standards, an axle carried by the upper ends of the standards and the brace bars, a sleeve on the axle and disposed between the brace bars, a lever secured intermediate the ends thereof to the sleeve, one end of the lever having a receptacle for a projectile, the other end of the lever being free to be struck by a bat or other instrument for causing the pro:- jectile to be thrown upwardly, a steel strap pivoted at one end to a brace bar and having the other end free for frictional engagement with the lever and movable towards or away from the lever, a pivotally mounted curved rest movable transversely of the lever and adapted to support said lever at different angles with respect to the horizontal for varying the path of the projectile when the lever is struck.

ULYSSES S. DANIEL. 

